The Poisoned Soul
The Poisoned Soul is an audio drama produced by Big Finish Productions. It was released in July 2011. Back cover “When the music begins, I'll give you some spins...” Evil haunts a school near Collinwood. A strange creature is attacking young girls, and the headmistress of Worthington Hall is forced to barricade her school against it. But Miss Charity Trask has problems of her own. She fears she's not in her right mind. She's seeing ghostly visions, and soon a strange spirit possesses her. Should she go against her every instinct and trust the voice in her head? Especially when it tells her that the Poisoned Soul is a lot closer than she realises.... Synopsis Teaser : Worthington Hall in the year 1941. Once a school run by the terrifying Reverend Trask, it is now home to his daughter Charity. Many years have passed since Charity was possessed by the spirit of the remarkable Pansy Faye and the headmistress now feels free from her influence. Under her ownership, Worthington Hall has been rebuilt as a respected academy for young ladies. But on this night, Charity Trask is about to find her school attacked by a mysterious force and herself falling once more under a dreadful curse. Charity Trask addresses a group of young girls. She tells them she has heard talk of wild beasts roaming the ground of the school. She states that this is nonsense, but confirms that several pupils sneaking back from the village late have been attacked. She informs them the paths around the school have been crammed with gypsies, vagabonds and thieves and those girls only have themselves to blame. They all begin singing that nights hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful. Suddenly halfway through, Charity makes a gagging sound and then starts singing, much to her students’ amusement, the show tune I’m Gonna Dance for You ''instead. She declares that she is Pansy Faye and that she’s back. 'Theme' Sometime later, the Matron asks Charity if she’s all right now, to which Charity confirms that she is and puts the outburst of Pansy Faye down to the stress of the attacks on her girls. She bids the Matron goodnight and then calls out to see if Pansy is still there. The spirit of Pansy responds, they discuss Charity’s father Gregory. She warns Charity that a great evil is coming upon the school and that’s what woke her spirit. Charity tells her that she has half a dozen girls in the sanatorium all in a listless stupor, found with they clothing wretchedly torn and that the attacks started a week ago. Her Latin master Mr. Llewellyn, a commanding and respectable figure, claims to have seen the impropriety. After calling the girls inside and sending them to their dorms, the matron hears a rustling sound nearby; something approaches her, it attacks her, she screams out in pain. The creature speaks. Mr. Llewellyn enters Charity’s office to be greeted by an impressed Pansy. He asks Charity if she’s feeling quite herself. Pansy explains that she is Charity’s twin cousin, visiting from Angleterre. They discuss Charity, Llewellyn considering her to be refreshing, whilst Pansy thinks her to be refreshing as a cold bath. He reveals that he was orphaned at a young age. He tells her that the Matron was attacked and is now quite comatose. Pansy suggests they both go hunt the vicious beast. Llewellyn has two letters in front of him. One from Charity, and the other from Pansy. He opens the one from Pansy first, he reads: : ''My dear Patrick. How I remember you that first time I met you in Charity’s study. You were if I may say so quite the most handsome man I’d clapped my eyes on in quite some time. The most handsome and the most innocent, and within minutes I’d taken you outside looking for an evil depraved beast. Oh Patrick, if only I’d known what I was doing... Outside searching for the beast, Llewellyn comments to Pansy how remarkably she looks like her cousin. Pansy comments how dashing he is, and that he must be loved by the girls. He tells her he doesn’t notice, he’s lead quite a sheltered life. To which Pansy takes this to mean he’s a ‘dancing boy’. To which Llewellyn doesn’t understand the allusion. Pansy tells him not to mind, she’s no doubt he’ll scream at the first peep of something nasty. He assures he won’t flinch and that he’s lay down he’s life to protect her. She says that the offer is most manly off him. He replies that she is most unique. She gives him a rendition of ‘''I’m Gonna Dance for You’. He seems impressed. Suddenly he thinks he hears a sound nearby, he rushes off. Llewellyn calls out to Pansy to check she all right, at that moment the creature makes a growling noise... Llewellyn reads the letter from Charity: : ''Dear Mr. Llewellyn. Patrick. I know how you feel about her. I can see it in your eyes when you came to my rooms looking for her. Forgive me, that is an unconventional, dare I say surprising opening, but time is pressing and I must venture to speak ones heart to another, if you will forgive the liberty. I have had feelings for you from when you first came to teach at the Trask Academy. I recognized the innate goodness, the innocence that clings to you, and as one whose own childhood was blighted by death, I felt for a fellow orphan. Well certainly at first and then my feelings for you… Forgive me, I express myself badly, I am unused to talking about how I feel, but I do have feelings. I can tell you clearly of the disappointment I saw writ large on your face when you called to see Miss Faye after her accident in the woods and found me there in her stead... A knock at the door. Charity calls the person to come in. It’s Llewellyn he mistakes Charity for Pansy. She informs him that Charity is indisposed after last night’s exertions. He apologies for making the mistake, and again comments how they both look so alike. She assures him any resemblance is purely skin deep. He asks how Pansy is. She says remarkably well considering the trip outside was all Pansy’s idea. They discuss the attack, at Charity suggestion, Llewellyn responds that it was no bear, he didn’t see it but he did hear it and certainly felt it. It knocked him to the ground, he found Pansy moments later unharmed. Llewellyn suggests they arm the girls and teach them self-defence, however Charity doesn’t think that’s a good idea, she says a strict curfew would be better. He says he felt so lost when the attack happened and wished that Charity was by his side. The school bell rings signalling that Llewellyn has his Latin classes to attend to, they briefly converse in Latin much to each other’s delight. He leaves. The spirit of Pansy returns, Charity leaves her study and goes to secure the doors to the school, as she does she scolds Pansy for nearly getting themselves killed last night. Pansy criticizes Charity for doing nothing exciting with her life. They discuss Gregory again; Charity is complementary about him whilst Pansy speaks critically of him. Charity breaks down in tears when Pansy brings up the fact that he killed Charity’s mother. Charity thinks her father would have liked Llewellyn because he would have found him easy to corrupt. She reveals that she saw her father’s ghost a week ago. She suspects that the demon making the attacks around the school is the ghost of her father. Pansy also has an idea about these mysterious happenings that have been occurring. She tells Charity that she must let her investigate it in her own way... Llewellyn continues to read Pansy’s letter: : ...So dear Patrick, I came to find you. Whilst Charity busied herself battening down the hatches, hitching up the drawbridge and so on, I came to find you. You and I had some investigating to do. I wanted us to see the creature’s victims for ourselves... Llewellyn and Pansy approach the comatose children in the sanatorium. She comments on the cold temperature. Llewellyn says that Matron likes the room to be well ventilated. Pansy begins to sing I’m Gonna Dance for You in an attempt to rouse the children, it has no effect on them. She observes their auras floating around above their bodies. Llewellyn sees nothing. Pansy approaches one of the girls and attempts to converse with her. She continues to sing I’m Gonna Dance for You, this time much to Llewellyn’s anguish. Pansy attempts to read the girl’s mind, she says the girl’s name is Alexandra, which Llewellyn confirms to be correct much, to his surprise. Pansy then relates an encounter the girl had with a group of soldiers in a nearby pub and then recounts the girl being attacked by the creature on the way back to the school. Pansy deduces that the creature needs innocence, not to feed on but to destroy. She says that Charity has got in wrong; by starving it they’re driving it inside... Llewellyn continues to read Charity’s letter: : ...Oh Patrick, I am running out of time. I am so sorry, how can I even begin to explain my extraordinary behaviour that time. You’d come to tell me that you agreed with Pansy, that I was wrong and I behaved abominably, oh how can I ever forgive myself... Llewellyn and Charity discuss Pansy’s theory. Charity seems to acting strangely, she stumbles. It is clear to Llewellyn that Charity is drunk; Charity says that Pansy got her drunk deliberately. She tells him about her mother. Charity starts to feel sleepy; Llewellyn decides to leave... Llewellyn continues to read Charity’s letter: : ...Oh Patrick, I am so truly, truly sorry for my behaviour. I ask you to believe me when I say I was not in control of myself... Charity tells off Pansy for getting her drunk. Pansy apologies, she explains she couldn’t have Charity chasing off after the demon with Llewellyn. Charity thinks it was because Pansy was jealous. Pansy admits she’s missed having a body; she could return to England and see her sister. Charity begins to see the funny side of the situation, they both laugh. She is certain that her father wouldn’t approve. She tells Pansy that she will be banished from the school once this is all over. She will use the spell again that removed Pansy’s spirit from her body the first time around, for the sake of her own sanity. Pansy is sure Llewellyn likes Charity but that he loves her. She says that they should let Patrick choose, whoever wins his heart gets to defeat the thing outside and live happily ever after in Charity’s body. Charity suggests that they each write him a letter stating their cases and that he shall send for the victor. They agree... Llewellyn finishes reading Pansy’s letter: : ...and so Mr. Llewellyn finally we come to the point of this long letter. I’m sure my feelings aren’t a surprise to you, although they are to me. There’s so much happening at my cousins school that in some ways your being here is a distraction. So I must ask you if you return my feelings. It is important that I know. I await your answer. Miss Pansy Faye. Llewellyn finishes reading Charity’s letter: : ...Oh Patrick, Patrick, forgive me, forgive me. I beg you. If my long summary of events has bored you, if my reminder of my awful behaviour has scandalized you. Oh, if I ever treated you badly or wrongly understand I acted only out of love, sweet childish foolish love. I am older than you, but my heart is young and believe me when I tell you that I love you. If you choose to stand beside me when we defeat the demon, you’ll make me the happiest woman alive. Ever yours, Charity. In the chapel, Llewellyn prays to God. At his conclusion Charity enters, she is the one he has chosen. Charity tells him that the monster isn’t locked out but locked in, that as Pansy deduced earlier the evil spirit is trapped in the school roaming looking for something pure and innocent. They hear the sound of the creature coming. It emerges from inside Llewellyn. The creature says that Patrick doesn’t know that it hides within him. It proclaims Charity to be a feast of innocence. It sinks its teeth in her soul; she winces in agony. At that moment, Charity reveals herself to be Pansy. The creature howls in agony, it says that her soul tastes wrong; it starts to poison and burn the creature. The creature attempts to reason with Pansy by speaking with Llewellyn’s voice, it tells her that something worse is coming and that it is coming for her. The creature collapses and Llewellyn is briefly restored. Pansy reveals that the creature was past to him from is father. He collapses from the strain. Pansy sings him a lullaby. Charity and Pansy discuss recent events. A storm breaks out. Pansy tells Charity about Llewellyn's warning that something is coming. The door opens it’s Charity’s dead father Gregory, he greets her. She is shocked. He proclaims that he is back, back for her. Theme Memorable quotes Dramatis personae * Nancy Barrett as Charity Trask/Pansy Faye * Roy Thinnes as Patrick Llewellyn * Nicola Bryant as Mrs. Gibbs * Jerry Lacy as Gregory Trask Background information and notes *Jerry Lacy makes a cameo appearance as Gregory Trask at the end of the story. This final scene also concludes the previous play The Carrion Queen, here it is shown from Charity Trask's perspective. *The story of the Trask family continues in The Fall of the House of Trask. *Included at the end of this release are trailers for The Carrion Queen & London's Burning. A scene from The Crimson Pearl is also included teasing the then upcoming story. Bloopers and continuity errors Official website *Big Finish Productions: The Poisoned Soul Category:Big Finish Audio Dramas